Census: Ala. won't gain or lose congressional seat

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is gaining population, according to U.S. Census figures released Tuesday, but not enough to add a representative to Congress.

BOB JOHNSON,Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is gaining population, according to U.S. Census figures released Tuesday, but not enough to add a representative to Congress.

There are 4,779,736 people living in Alabama, a 7.5 percent increase over the 2000 census figures. It means that Alabama will maintain its seven seats in Congress, the same number it has had since 1970, when it lost one. Alabama remains the 23rd most populous state in the country.

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t will now be up to the state Legislature to use those numbers to redraw district lines for congressional seats, the Legislature and the state school board. At the local level, lines will have to be redrawn for city councils, county commissions, school boards and other government bodies.

The population in the South grew by 14.3 percent, the fastest rate for any region in the country. Alabama's growth was slow compared to the overall region and to some states like Texas at 20.6 percent, Georgia at 18.3 percent and Florida at 17.6 percent. Texas is scheduled to pick up four congressional seats, Florida, two, and Georgia, one.

Officials should not be too concerned that Alabama didn't grow as fast as some others, said Annette Watters, manager of the Alabama Data Center at the University of Alabama.

"Our growth is steady and manageable," she said. "Some states are going to have to struggle because of the growth."

Alabama has seen some signs of the problems caused by the rapid growth seen in other states — particularly as retail and residential developments have stretched out in all directions from Birmingham, causing congestion and stifling traffic jams in some areas, she said.

The new census figures show that there are 94.4 people per square mile in Alabama. That means people live in more rural, less congested settings as compared to more urban states like New Jersey where there are 1,195.5 people per square mile. In Alabama there is usually someone within shouting distance, as compared to a state like Wyoming, where there are less than six people per square mile.

Alabama was 29th most dense compared to other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Watters said the density index is an area where it's good to be in the middle.

"We're not as intensely populated at New York City, but we are not as sparse as Montana. We are just about right. In Alabama you can find rural and urban settings nearby," Watters said.

Census figures to be released in February will break down the population into smaller areas, such as counties and cities. Those are the figures that the Alabama Legislature will need to begin drawing new district lines, said House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.

The House will begin the redistricting task in the organizational session in January by setting up a committee to oversee the work.

"We will work to make sure the districts are fairly drawn. We want to maintain the one-man, one-vote principle," Hubbard said.

This will be the first time in more than a century that Republicans have held a majority in the Legislature during the redistricting process. But Hubbard said he will try to make sure the process is fair.

He said he hopes the Legislature will keep the populations of House and Senate districts close to equal. Republicans have complained in recent years that Democrat-controlled legislators have drawn lines so that districts in GOP leaning areas are more populous than those in Democrat-leaning areas.

The Democratic Party caucus chairman in the House, Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said his party also wants to preserve the one-man, one-vote principle in redistricting. But he warned Republicans that if the final plan "there will be lawsuits filed."

"I would hope the lines will be drawn to take into count the racial makeup of the state. It needs to be done in a bipartisan and biracial way," Ford said.

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